Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is the title character and protagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series produced by Sega. He is a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who has the ability to run at supersonic speeds and attacks many of his enemies by curling into a ball. He most commonly achieves his goals by racing through levels, collecting power-up rings, and surviving against enemies and obstacles. The character was created by programmer Yuji Naka and designer Naoto Ōshima, and his franchise debuted with the launch of its first game for Sega's Genesis console in 1991. Sonic became the official mascot of the company and one of the biggest power players of the 16-bit generation, establishing himself as a formidable rival to Nintendo's mascot, Super Mario. He is one of the most famous video game characters in the world, and his games have sold more than 80 million units worldwide. He has also appeared in spin-off comics and animated TV shows. History with the Macy's Parade Classic Sonic Sonic's first appearance in a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was in the 67th parade, in 1993. This gave him the distinction of being the first video game character to have a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. However, during its parade debut that year, the Sonic balloon crashed into a lamppost at Columbus Circle due to strong winds; in the process, it injured a child and an off-duty police officer. The balloon was almost completely damaged during this accident. His Spike and Arm were also damaged, Despite this, Sonic returned to the parade the following year, with repairs and became the Lead Balloon that year, His return appearance at the 1994 parade was preceded by an appearance in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania at a launch event for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. After 1997, he was retired, but he made a slight comeback in 2001 on the 75 Parade Superstars float, celebrating the parade's 75th anniversary, on which he appeared with Felix the Cat, Kermit the Frog, Garfield, Betty Boop, Quik Bunny, Bugs Bunny, Pikachu, Cheesasaurus Rex and other characters whose balloons in the parade had been retired. Modern Sonic In 2011, after being absent for over 10 years, Sonic returned to the Macy's parade with a new balloon, in celebration of his 20th anniversary. The updated balloon was based on the modern design of the character, introduced in 1998, which has longer limbs and quills, green eyes, and a slimmer body, and also has a different pose from the "classic" Sonic balloon. He was retired after 2013 for unknown reasons. Incidents * In 1993, Sonic crashed into a lamppost, sending it flying down to the ground below, injuring both a child and an off-duty police officer. His spike and arm were also damaged during the route. * In 1995, Sonic collided with a tree limb, causing the balloon's face to rip. By the time he reached Times Square, he was removed from the parade. * In 1996, Sonic's left sock was partially deflated. * In 1997, during preparation, the overnight winds caused the balloon to get damaged, the balloon was quickly deflated after this along with the Flying Fish balloon. Because of this, he had to be retired. * In 2013, Sonic's arm was snagged in a tree but was released shortly after, causing no damage. Gallery *Gallery: Sonic the Hedgehog Music * Spinball Theme (Virtual Sonic) (1993-1997) * Splash Hill Zone (2011-2013) Trivia * Before his appearance in 1996, he appeared at the Macy's Balloon-A-Thon in 1996, along with many classic balloons such as Woody Woodpecker, Garfield, Betty Boop, The Pink Panther, Barney, etc. Category:Video Game Characters Category:Macy's Balloon Characters Category:Retired Balloons Category:2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1993 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:Big Balloons Category:1990s Balloons Category:2010s Balloons Category:Male Balloons Category:Balloons used outside of the parade Category:Raven Aerostar Balloons Category:Balloons that were in an accident Category:Balloons that got removed from the parade Category:Balloons that never made it to Hereld Square Category:Balloons using the most helium